Nifedipine Promotes the Proliferation and Migration of Breast Cancer Cells

Dong-Qing Guo, Hao Zhang, Sheng-Jiang Tan, Yu-Chun Gu

AbstractNifedipine is widely used as a calcium channel blocker (CCB) to treat angina and hypertension,but it is controversial with respect the risk of stimulation of cancers. In this study, we demonstrated that nifedipine promoted the proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells both invivo and invitro. However, verapamil, another calcium channel blocker, didn¡¦t exert the similar effects. Nifedipine and high concentration KCl failed to alter the [Ca2+]i in MDA-MB-231 cells, suggesting that such nifedipine effect was not related with calcium channel. Moreover, nifedipine decreased miRNA-524-5p, resulting in the up-regulation of brain protein I3 (BRI3). Erk pathway was consequently activated and led to the proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells. Silencing BRI3 reversed the promoting effect of nifedipine on the breast cancer. In a summary, nifedipine stimulated the proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells via the axis of miRNA-524-5p-BRI3¡VErk pathway independently of its calcium channel-blocking activity. Our findings highlight that nifedipine but not verapamil is conducive for breast cancer growth and metastasis, urging that the caution should be taken in clinic to prescribe nifedipine to women who suffering both hypertension and breast cancer, and hypertension with a tendency in breast cancers.

AbstractIn the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of a nutritious vegetable Toona sinensis (leaf extracts, TS) and its major bioactive compound gallic acid (GA) by analysing LPS-induced NF-£eB activation in transgenic mice, using bioluminescence imaging. Mice were challenged intraperitoneally with LPS (1 mg/kg) and treated orally with TS or GA (100 or 5 mg/kg, respectively). In vivo and ex vivo imaging showed that LPS increased NF-£eB luminescence in the abdominal region, which was significantly inhibited by TS or GA. Immunohistochemical and ELISA analyses confirmed that TS and GA inhibited LPS-induced NF-£eB, interleukin-1£], and tumour necrosis factor-£ expression. Microarray analysis revealed that biological pathways associated with metabolism and the immune responses were affected by TS or GA. Particularly, LPS-induced thioredoxin-like 4B (TXNL4B) 2 expression in the small intestine, and TXNL4B, iNOS, and COX-2 expression in RAW 264.7 cells were significantly inhibited by TS or GA. Thus, the anti-inflammatory potential of TS was mediated by the downregulation of NF-£eB pathway.

AbstractGinger is a commonly used spice with anti-inflammatory potential. Colitis is the common pathological lesion of inflammatory bowel diseases. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of ginger and its component zingerone in mice with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis. Ginger and zingerone ameliorated TNBS-induced colonic injury in a dose-dependent manner. Pathway analysis of ginger- and zingerone-regulated gene expression profiles showed that ginger and zingerone significantly regulated cytokine-related pathways. Network analysis showed that nuclear factor-£eB (NF-£eB) and interleukin-1£] (IL-1£]) were key molecules involved in the expression of ginger- and zingerone-affected genes. Ex vivo imaging and immunohistochemical staining further verified that ginger and zingerone suppressed TNBS-induced NF-£eB activation and IL-1£] protein level in the colon. In conclusion, ginger improved TNBS-induced colitis via modulation of NF-£eB activity and IL-1£] signalling pathway. Moreover, zingerone might be the active component of ginger responsible for the amelioration of colitis induced by TNBS.

AbstractA natural carotenoid abundant in seafood, astaxanthin (AX), has hypolipidemic activity, but its underlying mechanisms of action and protein targets are unknown. We investigated the molecular mechanism of action of AX in hepatic hyperlipidemia by measuring peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) activity. We examined the binding of AX to PPAR subtypes and its effects on hepatic lipid metabolism. AX binding activated PPAR-£, but inhibited PPAR-£^ transactivation activity in reporter gene assay and time-resolved fluorescence energy transfer analyses. AX had no effect on PPAR£_/£] transactivation. AX bound directly to PPAR-£ and PPAR-£^ with moderate affinity, as assessed by surface plasmon resonance experiments. The differential effects of AX on PPARs were confirmed by measuring the expression of unique responsive genes for each PPAR subtype. AX significantly reduced cellular lipid accumulation in lipid-loaded hepatocytes. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the net effects of stimulation with AX (100 £gM) on lipid metabolic pathways were similar to those elicited by fenofibrate and lovastatin (10 £gM each), with AX rewiring the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolic pathways. AX is a PPAR-£ agonist and PPAR-£^ antagonist, reduces hepatic lipid accumulation by rewiring the transcriptome in lipid-loaded hepatocytes.

AbstractChitosan has been widely used in food industry as a weight-loss aid and a cholesterol-lowering agent. Previous studies have shown that chitosan affects metabolic responses and contributes to anti-diabetic, hypocholesteremic, and blood glucose-lowering effects; however, the in vivo targeting sites and mechanisms of chitosan remain to be clarified. In this study, we constructed transgenic mice, which carried the luciferase genes driven by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), a key regulator of fatty acid and glucose metabolism. Bioluminescent imaging of PPAR transgenic mice was applied to report the organs that chitosan acted on, and gene expression profiles of chitosan-targeted organs were further analyzed to elucidate the mechanisms of chitosan. Bioluminescent imaging showed that constitutive PPAR activities were detected in brain and gastrointestinal tract. Administration of chitosan significantly activated the PPAR activities in brain and stomach. Microarray analysis of brain and stomach showed that several pathways involved in lipid and glucose metabolism were regulated by chitosan. Moreover, the expression levels of metabolism-associated genes like apolipoprotein B (apoB) and ghrelin genes were down-regulated by chitosan. In conclusion, these findings suggested the feasibility of PPAR bioluminescent imaging-guided transcriptomic analysis on the evaluation of chitosan-affected metabolic responses in vivo. Moreover, we newly identified that downregulated expression of apoB and ghrelin genes were novel mechanisms for chitosan-affected metabolic responses in vivo.

AbstractThe potential of arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) for use as a novel therapy for ovarian cancer treatment has been increasingly recognized. In this study, we developed an arsenic-resistant OVCAR-3 subline (OVCAR-3/AsR) and aimed to identify the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways contributing to the development of acquired arsenic chemoresistance in ovarian cancer. OVCAR-3/AsR cells were obtained following continual exposure of parental OVCAR-3 cells to low dose As(2)O(3) for 12months. Cytotoxicity of OVCAR-3/AsR cells to As(2)O(3), paclitaxel and cisplatin was investigated. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution following As(2)O(3) treatment of OVCAR-3/AsR cells was also analyzed using flow cytometry. Subsequently, cDNA microarray analysis was performed from the RNA samples of OVCAR-3 and OVCAR-3/AsR cells in duplicate experiments. Microarray data were analyzed using GenespringR and Pathway StudioR Softwares. OVCAR-3/AsR cells showed 9-fold greater resistance to As(2)O(3) and lack of collateral resistance to cisplatin and paclitaxel. Compared with parental OVCAR-3 cells, OVCAR-3/AsR had significantly lower apoptotic rates following As(2)O(3) treatment. These cells were also arrested at both the S phase and G(2)/M phase of the cell cycle after exposure to high concentrations of As(2)O(3). Gene expression profiling revealed significant differences in expression levels of 397 genes between OVCAR-3/AsR and OVCAR-3 cells. The differentially regulated transcripts genes have functional ontologies related to continued cancer cell growth, cell survival, tumor metastasis and tumor aggressiveness. Additionally, numerous gene targets of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) transcription factor showed elevated expression in OVCAR-3/AsR cells. Subsequent pathway analysis further revealed a gene network involving interleukin 1-alpha (IL1A) in mediating the arsenic-resistant phenotype. These results showed that changes in multiple genes and an increased in tumor aggressiveness occurred during the development of acquired chemoresistance to As(2)O(3) in ovarian cancer cells. The functional relevance of these genetic changes should be validated in future studies.

AbstractWe previously reported that cardiotonic steroids stimulate collagen synthesis by cardiac fibroblasts in a process that involves signaling through the Na-K-ATPase pathway (Elkareh et al. Hypertension 49: 215-224, 2007). In this study, we examined the effect of cardiotonic steroids on dermal fibroblasts collagen synthesis and on wound healing. Increased collagen expression by human dermal fibroblasts was noted in response to the cardiotonic steroid marinobufagenin in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. An eightfold increase in collagen synthesis was noted when cells were exposed to 10 nM marinobufagenin for 24 h (P < 0.01). Similar increases in proline incorporation were seen following treatment with digoxin, ouabain, and marinobufagenin (10 nM x 24 h, all results P < 0.01 vs. control). The coadministration of the Src inhibitor PP2 or N-acetylcysteine completely prevented collagen stimulation by marinobufagenin. Next, we examined the effect of digoxin, ouabain, and marinobufagenin on the rate of wound closure in an in vitro model where human dermal fibroblasts cultures were wounded with a pipette tip and monitored by digital microscopy. Finally, we administered digoxin in an in vivo wound healing model. Olive oil was chosen as the digoxin carrier because of a favorable partition coefficient observed for labeled digoxin with saline. This application significantly accelerated in vivo wound healing in rats wounded with an 8-mm biopsy cut. Increased collagen accumulation was noted 9 days after wounding (both P < 0.01). The data suggest that cardiotonic steroids induce increases in collagen synthesis by dermal fibroblasts, as could potentially be exploited to accelerate wound healing.